Publishing Workshops

Gain essential publishing knowledge from our workshops

The publishing process can often be mystifying. It is relatively straightforward and needs to be understood since it is such an important part of what you do as an author. So the more you know about the publishing process, the better position you will be in to make a smart decision about your book.

SUNY Press recognizes the great value of publishing workshops. Our editors will guide you through the following steps in the publishing process:

When to make contact with a publisher. Not when it is actually finished but when you understand your project as a whole.

Choosing the right publisher for you. The key to a successful publishing experience is finding a publisher who publishes in the areas that you are writing about and finding a good editor to work with as a partner in the publishing process.

How to contact a publisher. We’ll explain the best ways to get in touch with a potential publisher, which includes but is not limited to sending a proposal or cover letter to an editor, setting up an appointment ahead of time with an editor at a conference to briefly discuss your work, and, perhaps, handing them a proposal at that time.

The review process. We’ll show you how to identify strengths and weaknesses of a work and, if promising, how to bring out the strengths of a manuscript to make the best book possible.

Handling rejection. It happens all of the time. It’s best to know early on if a publisher is not interested. Take reviews and learn from them—better to know before a book is published if there are problems.

Contracts and copyright. A binding legal agreement that spells out both your responsibilities and the publisher’s responsibilities.

The manuscript process after copyright. We’ll walk you through the entire process, from beginning to end.

What you can do to promote your book. Authors are the best marketers and promoters of their books because no one knows the book as well as the person who wrote it.